There’s one thing you need to save for before you start investing, and that is an emergency fund. Problems happen all the time and a little extra free cash saved specifically for emergencies can get us out a lot of terrible financial situations. Aside from that, it lets us pursue excellent opportunities as well.

Here are a few reasons why you need an emergency fund. (Just think about the last time you thought about these things, and what you would do if any of these ever happen.)

Credit cards and personal loans are both good solutions for financing regular expenses as well as unexpected ones. Both products are basically unsecured loans that do not require collateral backing, and you can repay them over time.

There’s a reason why most lottery winners lose all that they’ve won after a while, and we all experience it whenever we receive a cash bonus or a large cash gift. Have you ever received a large amount of cash and lose it almost immediately because you couldn’t stop yourself from going on a shopping spree? Have you ever regretted spending that money because there were suddenly a dozen other, more important things you could have spent it on like paying debts or bills? If you’ve answered yes to those questions, then here’s a simple guide for you.